Gutz Needs Help on a Cherry POS keyboard

[berserkfan]

Hi Folks

It is me, the resident moron of this forum. Once again I have gotten myself stuck.

Since I can't get Cherry's software (or even Tipro's software) to recognize this keyboard (but it powers on!), I decided to try hooking it up to a teensy instead.

I open the keybard, and there are two sections that look like they could be the keyboard controller. The section to the top right is really scary. It's filled with tiny traces and what looks like microprocessors. I guess it's way way beyond any ability of mine to wire up to a teensy.

The left hand side seems more promising. There are a bunch of metal prongs. I have little cables that can connect  them to a teensy with pins on a breadboard. However, they should be for credit card swipes.

[pbtforever]

Isn't the ATMEGA chip the controller?

[berserkfan]

OK, I just got a Cherry POS keyboard. I would like to hook it up to a teensy.
Now, how do I go about doing it? Am I supposed to run wires across every single contact on the board to a teensy? Is there some easier way? I'm at a loss here. I think I really bought on an impulse and I have no experience with such things.

[berserkfan]

Isn't the ATMEGA chip the controller?

I didn't recognize the Atmega chip. What is it? how do I program it? How do I even get my computer to recognize the existence of the keyboard so that I can program it?

[dorkvader]

the 2 chips up top are probably the KB controller and associated stuff. The 4 chips below that seem to be some sort of IO expander so it can get all the rows / colums easily.

The stuff on the left really intruges me though. I note that traces go to at least some of the pins to switches.

Here's what I'd do: put your Multimeter in continuity mode, press the entire KB down to actuate all switches. Then probe around on the stuff on the left to see if it's got all the rows / colums. There aren't any diodes, so polarity doesn't matter.

Another option is to desolder the PCB entirely and direct wire the entire matrix to a teensy.

In either case, the matrix is pretty big: you'll want to get a Teensy++ for more pins. You'll need 24 to do the 8*16 matrix conveniently.

I doubt you'll be able to "reprogram" that chip onboard.

[IvanIvanovich]

According to the manual, PS/2 programming is NOT supported on 64bit Windows. It says to either use RS232 to PS/2 adapter to program on 64bits, or use a 32bit OS which is probably the easier way.